Developer Battlestate Games have announced that Escape from Tarkov, its realism-focused hardcore FPS/MMO hybrid, will be entering its official Closed Beta phase (CBT) in July. The Closed Beta, which will be available to all current and new pre-order owners, introduces new features, content and optimizations – a new map, weapon parts, new loot, economy rebalancing, and an insurance system. Also new to the game will be the Peacemaker, a new merchant who will expand opportunities for players to buy western weapons and gear.

Insurance: For a small amount of in game currency, players can insure weapons and equipment, increasing the chance of retaining it

Loot and Economy: The CBT will feature a new Merchant, new barter loot, medicines and additional useful items for players to buy, sell and trade. Economic balancing means items will be made available in marketplaces for barter and in loot drops based on their popularity and rarity within the economics system

Weapons: New weapon customization parts and ammunition types, along with the addition of the modern-classic MP5 submachine gun will offer players even more customizations in the game that prides itself on making thousands of weapon combos and upgrades possible

Locations: There will be a total of four locations available to play- Customs, Woods, Factory and Shoreline – all with different sizes and terrains. The Shoreline location will be newest and biggest map addition to the CBT.

General Chat: Chat channels will be available to all players online in the game, allowing players to share useful information and group up for raids.

While Escape from Tarkov has been preparing for the launch of the Closed Beta, the Battlestate team has dedicated a great deal of time to the optimization of animation systems, equipment, and internal system modules – all of which have seen adjustments and improvements. Also in preparation for the CBT launch, the game’s been updated to make use of the current version of Unity Engine, allowing Escape from Tarkov to take full use of DX11 and other optimizations offered by the engine.